Focusing on Virginia Woolf and her circle, past and present

Woolf in whodunnit and sci-fi

We Woolfians who aren’t in Saskatoon need a few chuckles to take our minds off the conference we’re missing. I hope these silly and somewhat subtle sightings help and also serve to remind us that Virginia Woolf appears in the most unexpected places.

I just started watching the “Midsomer Murders,” which have been running on Brit TV since 1996 – these frothy mysteries are a wonderful diversion from everyday life’s woes, and there are enough of them to keep me entertained for quite some time.

In an episode from the first series, “Death of a Hollow Man,” two men involved in a village theatre production also own the local bookshop. In a scene at the shop, Avery remarks to Tim, “Why don’t people put things back where they belong?”, upon finding that someone has placed A Room of One’s Own under Interior Decoration.

Moving on to the current New Yorker. One of the filler pieces in the June 4 science fiction issue is by China Mieville, an award-winning fantasy-fiction author (unknown to me). “Forward Thinking” is presented as an email sent back in time to a young sci-fi fan, describing his or her progression in the genre. Here’s one bit:

Orlando DVD

“You’ll read Orlando,because you heard it has a sex-changing time-traveller in it. Your English teacher will tell you witheringly that, for that reason, it’s very minor Woolf. Give it a few years. The movie will come out, and his opinion will look foolish and rote.”